Stop Stop Stop

"Stop Stop Stop"
Single by The Hollies
from the album For Certain Because
B-side	"It's You"
Released	7 October 1966[1]
Format	7" 45 RPM
Recorded	20 June & 17 August 1966, EMI Studios, London
Genre	Pop rock, folk rock, psychedelic pop
Length	2:47
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, Graham Nash
Producer(s)	Ron Richards
The Hollies singles chronology
"After the Fox" (September 1966) "Stop Stop Stop" (October 1966) "On a Carousel" (February 1967)

"Stop Stop Stop" is a song by British pop group The Hollies^[2] that was written by group members Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, and Graham Nash, and was a rewrite of an earlier song by the group. It was first released as a single and later appeared on the album For Certain Because in the United Kingdom.

The song was released as a single by the Parlophone label in October 1966^[3] and was released around the same time in the United States by Imperial Records. It was the last single that The Hollies released that year (see 1966 in music) and became a worldwide hit reaching the top 10 of the singles charts in 8 countries, including at #1 in Canada.^[4] There is also an Italian version, made by Rita Pavone.

Background and recording

"Stop Stop Stop" was a rewrite of the song "Come On Back", which was released as the b-side of "We're Through" in September 1964. "Come On Back" was also written by Clarke, Hicks, and Nash but was issued under the pseudonym L. Ransford, which the three used until 1966.^[3]

"Stop Stop Stop" is notable for being one of the few recordings by the group that feature Tony Hicks playing the banjo, and was the only song with that instrument to be performed live by the group.^[5] The song – like most others by the group – feature a three-part vocal harmony between Clarke, Hicks, and Nash. The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England and was produced by Ron Richards.

Reception

The reception for the song in North America was so strong that the group's record labels in the United States (Imperial) and Canada (Capitol) released a studio album by the group titled Stop! Stop! Stop!, which was originally released in the United Kingdom as For Certain Because.

Charts

Chart (1966)	Peak position
Australia (Go-Set)[6]	11
Canadian Top Singles[4]	1
Germany (Official German Charts)[7]	4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8]	5
Norway (VG-lista)[9]	4
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[10]	4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11]	2
US Billboard Hot 100[12]	7

External links

• "Stop Stop Stop" at Discogs (list of releases)
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

References

1. The History of The Hollies: 24 Genuine Top Thirty Hits (Vinyl sleeve). The Hollies. EMI. 1975. Back cover. EMSP 650.
2. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 38 - The Rubberization of Soul: The great pop music renaissance. [Part 4]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu.
3. Pidgeon, John (1990). "Hits in Harmony". The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated History of Popular Music. Vol. 6 (Reference ed.). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. pp. 605, 606. ISBN 1-85435-021-8.
4. "RPM 100" (PHP). RPM. Vol. 6 (No. 16). 19 December 1966. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
5. Epic Anthology: From the Original Master Tapes (CD liner). The Hollies. United States: Epic Records. 1990. EGK 46161.
6. "Go-Set Australian Charts –14 December 1966". Pop Archives. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
7. "Musicline.de – Hollies, The Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
8. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Hollies – Stop Stop Stop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
9. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Hollies – Stop Stop Stop". VG-lista.
10. Hallberg, Eric (1993). Kvällstoppen i P3 (1st ed.). Sweden: Drift Musik. ISBN 91-630-2140-4.
11. "Archive Chart: 1966-11-12" UK Singles Chart.
12. "The Hollies – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for The Hollies.